67th National Day of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam Sri
Lanka - Vietnam Friendship Foundation on 19th September, 2012 at Jayawardana Center in Colombo 07.
| by Somawansa Amarasinghe
( September 20, 2012, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) We
have gathered here to commemorate the 67th anniversary of the National Day of
Socialist Vietnam. The Great leader of the Communist Party of Vietnam comrade
Ho chi Minh on the 2nd September 1945 declared the liberation of Vietnam. That
was after fighting for a long time against French colonialists and United
States imperialists.
However, United States of American imperialists occupying
South Vietnam established a puppet government there and launched the extremely
cruel war in the history of the world. The most advanced and formidable
military forces were engaged against a small nation in the South East Asia.
Tens of thousands of tons of bombs were dropped; Millions of innocent
Vietnamese including children, old men and women were killed; exposing the cruelty
of imperialism poisonous gases such as “Agent Orange” have been spread across
Vietnam.
Even now 37 years after the end of war Vietnamese people
are born with disabilities. Tens of thousands of disabled Vietnamese people
need our assistance. Therefore Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP – People’s
Liberation Front) urge the people of Sri Lanka to come forward to assist those
disabled people in Vietnam. The JVP takes this opportunity to invite the
experts in the medical field to come forward to raise the awareness of the
people of the world about the sufferings of the Vietnamese people due to US
imperialists’ “Agent Orange” attacks.
The formidable and cruel imperialist army was not capable
of defeating the Heroic people of Vietnam led by the Communist Party. The JVP
which was launched in 1965 has been a staunch supporter of Vietnam. The
founding leader of the JVP comrade Rohana Wijeweera led many protests against
US war mongers until 1971.
On the 1st May 1975 the victorious Liberation Army
entered Saigon and marked the end of the puppet regime and liberated Vietnam.
The historical victory of Vietnam has been an unending source of enthusiasm and
courage to the peace loving and progressive people the world over. It was when
we were in prisons in Sri Lanka for launching an uprising against the “Sri
Lankan Government” of the Queen of the United Kingdom.
No doubt that was the happiest day in our prison lives.
We joined hands with the heroic people of Vietnam and the peace loving,
progressive people the world over.
It is with deep sorrow that we recollect the protest we
had in front of this very same building in 1979. Then there was an embassy of
another friendly country of Sri Lanka. What has happened in that year was no
doubt a setback for the two countries and for the International Communist
Movement. We hope that we will be fortunate enough not to witness such
conflicts in future.
Since the victory of the revolution the people of Vietnam
led by the Communist Party reconstructed their country at a tremendous speed.
During the last 37 years Socialist Vietnam achieved unprecedented economic,
political, social and cultural victories. Today Vietnam is the second biggest
exporter of rice in the world. It produces 3 million tons of fish per year.
Vietnam would overtake Brazil in producing Coffee next year.After the
implementation of Doi Moi (renovation), the defeat of stagnation, the Gross
Domestic Product of Vietnam reached the high value of 8.46%. In 1993, 58% of
the Vietnamese people were living in abject poverty. 46% of the population has
been lifted out of poverty by now. Many more victories have been achieved by
Socialist Vietnam. Vietnam is a shining example for the people of Sri Lanka of
a country that could achieve amazing victories under Socialism. Heroic people
of Vietnam proved the fact that people with strong determination are capable of
defeating an enemy seen to be formidable.
LONG LIVE SOCILIST REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM ! LONG LIVE THE NAME OF HO CHI MINH !!
LONG LIVE THE FRIENDSHIP BETWEEN THE PEOPLE OF SRI LANKA
AND VIETNAM !!!
LONG LIVE INTERNATIONALISM !!!!
OUR GREETINGS TO THE COMMUNIST PARTY AND THE PEOPLE OF
VIETNAM !!!!!
